JACKSONVILLE, Ala. – A couple of rough quarters where the Sugar Bears struggled to make shots, combined with a good shooting night for Jacksonville State, and Central Arkansas fell to the Gamecocks Saturday afternoon, .
Lucy Ibeh led the Sugar Bears in points, scoring 11 points and grabbing five rebounds.
Randrea Wright had six points and five assists, with a smattering of other Sugar Bears contributing on the box score.
Lashiyah Fowler scored in double-figures for the second time this season, bullying her way to the rim in the fourth quarter to help the Sugar Bears win the final frame 16-7.
Jacksonville State came out guns blazing in the first quarter, opening up a double-digit lead with a flurry of three-pointers, hitting three right out of the gates. As is the Central Arkansas way, the led was methodically whittled down, as a 9-0 run tied the game at 11-all with 4:36 left in the first. Trading baskets, the Sugar Bears took a 13-12 lead with just over two minutes left in the quarter, but the lead was short-lived. Central Arkansas scored 12 of its 13 points in the paint in the first, diving to the basket at will.
The second quarter saw the Sugar Bears' shooting percent take a drastic turn, as the basket seemed to have a lid on it. After keeping pace with the ASUN West-leading Gamecocks in the first quarter, Central Arkansas was outscored 23-8 in the second, opening a lead the Sugar Bears couldn't overcome. Ibeh finished the first half with 9 points on a perfect 4-for-4 from the field, while also connecting on her only free throw.
Breaking for halftime didn't do much for the Sugar Bears, as the team continued to struggle to close the gap. Despite shooting better in the third quarter, the defense was unable to find many stops, as the lead grew in the quarter.
Putting in some younger players to get some big-time experience, the energy of the Sugar Bears changed on a dime. Central Arkansas started the quarter with a 5-0 run before surrendering the same run to the Gamecocks before the media timeout. From there, the Sugar Bears held Jacksonville State scoreless for the last 5:29, going on an 11-0 run to close the game out.
Though it wasn't enough to overcome the deficit, the fight from freshmen like Fowler and
Ruth Balogun put some energy back on the floor for the Sugar Bears. The defensive intensity became contagious, as the Sugar Bears played complimentary team defense, with Fowler taking a pair of charges in the quarter, electrifying the Sugar Bears while visibly deflating the Gamecock offense.
Balogun finished the day with five points and a career-best six rebounds in just 10 minutes of play, battling on the boards and playing a part of the tough defense down the stretch. The forward finished with a UCA-best +10 plus-minus, helping the Sugar Bears outscore the Gamecocks by 10 while on the floor, mostly during the torrid stretch in the fourth.
Central Arkansas returns home for a pair of games next week, starting with Bellarmine on Thursday. The Sugar Bears can complete the season sweep of their ASUN West opponent with a win over the Knights, and game time is set for 7 p.m.
